Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can easily adjust the gap between the exterior of a top face of a housing arranged between two housings and the exterior of top faces of the adjacent housings.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: a first housing having an image forming unit that forms a toner image on a recording material; a second housing having a fixing unit that fixes the toner image formed by the image forming unit to the recording material; a third housing including conveying means that conveys a sheet from the first housing to the second housing; and an exterior part that is provided on the third housing and constitutes part of the external appearance on the side of the top face of the third housing, and that is adjustably fixed in an arrangement direction of the first housing, the third housing, and the second housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction machine having a plurality of these functions.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a large-sized image forming apparatus, in consideration of ease of carrying-in during installation and maintainability, units are separated for each image process of the product and provided in separate casings, and the respective casings are connected to constitute an image forming apparatus. For example, an image forming apparatus is configured to include a first casing including a developing unit that forms a toner image on an image carrier and a transfer unit that transfers the toner image on the image carrier to a recording material, and a second casing including a fixing unit that fixes an unfixed toner image to the recording material. And it is known that one image forming apparatus is formed by connecting and installing the first casing and the second casing at the installation site (Patent Document 1). By separating the casing of the image forming apparatus for each image forming process in this way, it is possible to greatly improve the difficulty of transportation due to the large weight and size when installing and carrying in the image forming apparatus, and the ease of carrying it into an elevator.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In image forming apparatuses like the one described in Patent Document 1, there are multiple models, each equipped with different units depending on the required specifications, such as printing speed and the type of printable recording material. For example, the second housing of a second image forming apparatus, which is different from the first image forming apparatus, is equipped with a fixing device that provides a greater amount of heat to the recording material than the fixing device of the first image forming apparatus. In this case, the second image forming apparatus can fix toner images to recording materials with a large basis weight that could not be printed with the first image forming apparatus due to insufficient heat. In recent years, there has been a demand for products that can accommodate high-mix, low-volume production, which allow for the selective combination of housings in different image forming apparatuses depending on the required specifications.

[0005] In the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 above, for example, the transport height of the recording material between the first housing and the second housing may differ between the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus. In this case, the discharge height of the recording material from the first housing of the first image forming apparatus and the receiving height of the recording material in the second housing of the second image forming apparatus will be misaligned vertically, making it impossible to connect them as is.

[0006] Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a third enclosure between the first and second enclosures, equipped with a transport path for transferring sheets from the first enclosure to the second enclosure.

[0007] However, in a configuration with three enclosures, if the floor surface on which each enclosure is installed is warped or otherwise uneven, there is a risk that each enclosure may tilt in a different orientation. In such a case, if all three enclosures tilt, it becomes difficult to adjust the clearance of the top casing of the third enclosure, which is located between the first and second enclosures.

[0008] Furthermore, if the top exterior of at least one of the three enclosures was to form a nearly flat surface to serve as a user's workbench area, it was necessary to adjust the clearance between each enclosure and the adjacent top exterior to be as small as possible.

[0009] Therefore, the challenge lies in creating a configuration that allows for easy adjustment of the gap between the ceiling exteriors of the buildings positioned between the two buildings.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an image forming apparatus that can easily adjust the gap between the top exterior of one housing positioned between two housings and the top exterior of the adjacent housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a first housing having an image forming unit that forms a toner image on a recording material; a second housing having a fixing unit that fixes the toner image formed by the image forming unit onto the recording material; a third housing equipped with a transport means for transporting a sheet from the first housing to the second housing; and an exterior part provided on the third housing that constitutes a part of the exterior of the top surface of the third housing, in the arrangement direction of the first housing, the third housing and the second housing. The position of the exterior part It is characterized by comprising an exterior part that is fixed in an adjustable manner. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that can easily adjust the gap between the top exterior of one housing positioned between two housings and the top exterior of the adjacent housing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] A schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] A diagram illustrating the enclosure. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the frame structure of the enclosure. [Figure 4] This is an enlarged view of the connection part between another housing equipped with image forming means connected to the housing. [Figure 5] This is an enlarged view of the connection part between another housing equipped with image forming means connected to the housing. [Figure 6] This is an example of a unit for adjusting the height of a chassis. [Figure 7]This is an example of a housing connected to a housing equipped with an image forming unit. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing the order of joining the housings. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing the gaps in the exterior when the housings are joined. [Figure 10] This explains the configuration of the exterior. [Figure 11] This shows the state of connection to the frame of the exterior. [Figure 12] A diagram representing a state where the gap between the exterior on the top surface side of the first housing and the exterior on the top surface side of the third housing, and the gap between the exterior on the top surface side of the second housing and the exterior on the top surface side of the third housing are non-uniform in the joining direction. [Figure 13] A diagram showing an example of a conventional configuration electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] [Image Forming Apparatus] First, regarding the image forming apparatus 100 with a general configuration shown in FIG. 13, the process from image formation on the transfer material including the image forming process to paper discharge will be described. The image forming process described in this embodiment takes the electrophotographic method as an example and includes an exposure process, a development process, a transfer process, and a fixing process. Note that as the sheet S, various types of sheet materials such as plain paper, thick paper, rough paper, embossed paper, coated paper, glossy paper, photographic paper, etc., paper, plastic film, cloth, etc. can be mentioned.

[0015] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the image forming apparatus 100. The image forming apparatus 100 includes a housing 101. In the housing 101, each mechanism for constituting the engine unit and a control board housing unit (not shown) for housing an engine control unit and a printer controller for performing control related to each printing process (for example, paper feeding process, etc.) by each mechanism are built-in

[0016] The various mechanisms constituting the engine section include an electrostatic latent image formation on the photosensitive drum 105 by scanning with a laser beam, visualization of the electrostatic latent image, multiple transfers of the visualized image to an intermediate transfer body 106, and a transfer processing mechanism for further transferring the transferred color image to the transfer material 110. In addition, the engine section is equipped with a fixing processing mechanism for fixing the toner image transferred to the transfer material 110, a paper feeding processing mechanism for the transfer material 110, and a transport processing mechanism for the transfer material 110.

[0017] [Exposure process] The optical processing mechanism includes a laser scanner unit 107 which has a laser driver that drives laser light emitted from a semiconductor laser (not shown) according to image data supplied from the printer controller 103. The laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser is deflected in the scanning direction by a rotating polyface mirror. Here, the laser light deflected in the main scanning direction is guided to the photosensitive drum 105 via a reflective mirror 109, exposing the photosensitive drum 105 in the main scanning direction.

[0018] [Latent Image Development Process] Meanwhile, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 105 by scanning exposure with laser light, which has been charged by the primary charger 111, is manifested as a toner image by the toner supplied by the developer 112, which will be described later. The toner image on the photosensitive drum 105 is then transferred (primary transfer) onto the intermediate transfer body 106 to which a voltage with the opposite characteristics to that of the toner image is applied. During color image formation, the respective colors are sequentially formed on the intermediate transfer body 106 from the Y station 120, M station 121, C station 122, and K station 123, resulting in the formation of a full-color visible image on the intermediate transfer body 106. In this embodiment, image formation is performed using yellow toner at the Y station 120, and image formation is performed using magenta toner at the M station 121. Furthermore, image formation is performed using cyan toner at the C station 122, and image formation is performed using black toner at the K station 123.

[0019] [Transfer process] Next, the transfer material 110 fed from the transfer material storage compartment 113 is transported, and the visible image formed on the intermediate transfer body 106 is transferred to the feedable transfer material 110 by applying a bias with characteristics opposite to that of the toner to the transfer roller 114 (secondary transfer). The photosensitive drum 105 and the developer 112 are detachable.

[0020] Furthermore, an image formation start position detection sensor 115 for determining the printing start position when performing image formation, and a paper feed timing sensor 116 for determining the timing of paper feeding of the transfer material 110 are provided around the intermediate transfer body 106. In addition, a density sensor 117 is positioned around the intermediate transfer body 106 to measure the density of the patches during density control. When density control is performed, this density sensor 117 measures the density of each patch.

[0021] [Retention Process] The fixing mechanism includes a first fuser 150 and a second fuser 160 for fixing the toner image transferred to the transfer material 110 by heat and pressure. The first fuser 150 includes a fixing roller 151 for applying heat to the transfer material 110, a pressure belt 152 for pressing the transfer material 110 against the fixing roller 151, and a post-fixing sensor 153 for detecting the completion of fixing. Each of these rollers is a hollow roller, each having a heater inside, and is configured to rotate and transport the transfer material 110 at the same time.

[0022] The second fuser 160 is located downstream of the first fuser 150 in the transport path of the transfer material 110, and is positioned to add gloss to the toner image on the transfer material 110 fixed by the first fuser 150, and to ensure fixation. The second fuser 160 also has the same configuration as the first fuser 150, including a fuser roller 161, a pressure roller 162, and a post-fixing sensor 163.

[0023] Depending on the type of transfer material 110, it may not be necessary to pass it through the second fuser 160. In this case, a transport path 130 is provided for discharging the transfer material 110 without passing through the second fuser 160, in order to reduce energy consumption. The transport path switching flapper 131 can guide the transfer material 110 to the transport path 130.

[0024] If image formation on the transfer material 110 is limited to one side, the material is transported through the transport path 130, exits via the paper output path 139, and is loaded onto the tray 140.

[0025] On the other hand, when forming an image on the back side of the transfer material 110, the transfer material 110 is guided to the transport path 135 by the transport path switching flapper 132. Then, after the position of the transfer material 110 is detected by the inversion sensor 137, the leading end of the transfer material 110 is swapped by a switchback operation in the inversion unit 136. The transfer material with the swapped leading end passes through the inversion path 138 and is transported again to the transfer roller 114, where toner is transferred to the back side. After that, it goes through the image formation process described above and passes through the paper output path 139 and is loaded into the tray 140.

[0026] Next, this embodiment will be described using Figure 1. The engine unit that performs the image formation process shown in Figure 1 has the same configuration as described in Figure 3 above.

[0027] [Regarding the housing 300 having an engine unit that forms an unfixed image] As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, engine units A, B, and C for realizing the image formation process (exposure, latent image development, and transfer process) for forming an unfixed image are arranged inside the first housing 300 which performs the image formation process described above. Engine units A, B, and C are examples of image formation units. The second housing 400 is provided with a first fuser 150 and a second fuser 160, which are fixing units for fixing the toner image formed by engine units A, B, and C onto the recording material. In this embodiment, a third housing 10 is provided between the first housing 300 and the second housing 400 in the direction of transporting the recording material. The third housing 10 is provided with a second transport unit D2, which is a transport unit for transporting the recording material on which the toner image has been formed by engine units A, B, and C to the fixing unit 150. The process from feeding the transfer material 110 to forming the unfixed image on the transfer material 110 is the same as described above.

[0028] The first housing 300 consists of a frame 301 that supports each image forming unit such as the exposure unit A, the development process unit B, and the transfer process unit C, as well as the transfer material transport unit D1. In addition to the frame 301 that forms its skeleton and the aforementioned units, the housing 300 is configured with a cassette 113 for storing the transfer material 110, an image reading unit 190, a device operation unit 180, and an exterior cover E3 appropriately arranged.

[0029] [Regarding enclosure 10] The detailed configuration of the frame 11 of the housing 10 will be explained using Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2(a) shows the housing 10 with the exterior cover attached from the front, and Figure 2(b) is a perspective view thereof.

[0030] In Figure 2, the housing 10 has an outer cover E2 and a front door 22 attached to a frame 11 that forms the skeleton, which constitute part of the exterior of the housing 10. A second transport unit D2 for transporting the transfer material 110 and a transfer material reversal unit D3, along with a reversal transport unit D4 for returning the transported transfer material 110 to the housing 300, are also attached. In this embodiment, the outer cover E2 is an example of an exterior part that constitutes part of the exterior on the top surface of the housing 10.

[0031] [Regarding the structure of the frame] In Figure 3, the frame 11 comprises a bottom plate frame 14, right support columns 12 and left support columns 13, and a rear side plate 15. The right support columns 12 and left support columns 13 and the rear side plate 15 are connected by side stays 16, front stays (upper) 17, and front stays (middle) 18. The components are also joined to each other by fastening with screws or welding. Here, the arrow Y direction is the front-to-back direction, perpendicular to the vertical direction and the arrangement direction.

[0032] The second transfer material transport unit D2 is supported and fixed by a connecting part (front) Da and a connecting part (rear) Db on the left side of the support column 13 and the rear side plate 15, and a connecting part (front) Dc and a connecting part (rear) Dd on the front stay (middle) 18 and the rear side plate 15.

[0033] Furthermore, a reversing transport unit D4 is provided below it. The coupling portion 22 of the reversing transport unit D4 is connected to the front stay (middle) 18, and a support shaft (not shown) protruding toward the rear side plate 15 of the reversing transport unit D4 is engaged with the rear side plate 15. In addition, casters 21 are provided at the four corners of the bottom surface of the bottom plate frame 14 mentioned above. The housing to which the casters 21 are attached is movable, and the housing 400 which will be described later is also movable.

[0034] [Regarding the transfer of transfer material across enclosures] The transfer material onto which the unfixed image has been transferred by the image forming process in the housing 300 is transferred from the housing 300 to the housing 10 by the first transfer material transport unit D1, which is located downstream of the transfer unit C.

[0035] The second transfer material transport unit D2 protrudes from the left support column 13 of the frame 11 toward the transfer material guide G installed in the housing 400. Specifically, it is positioned so that a portion of it protrudes toward the fixing nip formed by the fixing roller 402b and fixing belt 402a of the fixing device 402. The transfer material 110 received from the housing 10 is transferred to the second housing 400 by the second transfer material transport unit D2. The transfer material 110 is appropriately guided toward the fixing nip of the fixing unit 402 provided in the second housing, and a permanent image is formed through the fixing process described above.

[0036] [Details regarding the handover of transfer materials] The detailed positions of the upstream and downstream sides of the second transfer material transport unit D2, which is provided in the housing 10, will be explained using Figure 1.

[0037] In Figure 1, the downstream roller d1 of the first transfer material transport unit D1 is set higher in the height direction Z than the upstream roller d2 of the second transfer material transport unit D2. This is because if the roller position d1 is lower than the roller position d2, the transfer material 110 may come into contact with the upstream roller d2 of the second transport unit, potentially causing damage or paper jams. On the other hand, if the transfer height is too high, it will be impossible to transfer transfer material that has curled downwards. Therefore, there is an appropriate height range for the transfer of transfer material between the housings, and a variation of up to ±3.0 mm from the design value is permitted.

[0038] Next, we will explain the detailed position of the transfer material guide G from the second transfer material transport unit D2.

[0039] When transferring the transfer material to the fixing nip, the height relationship between the downstream roller d3 of the second transfer material transport unit D2 and the transfer material guide G provided on the upstream side of the fixing nip is such that the downstream roller position d3 of the second transfer material transport unit D2 is set higher. This is because the guide section G has a guiding function that stably guides the leading edge of the transfer material to the fixing nip, and if the leading edge height of the transfer material 110 is too high, the recording material may not be guided to the fixing nip, potentially causing wrinkles or unfixed images to scatter and contaminate the transfer material. Also, if the leading edge height of the transfer material is too low, the leading edge of the original document may come into contact with the transfer material guide G, potentially causing a paper jam.

[0040] The relative positions of the second transfer material transport unit and the entrance guide must have a variation of approximately ±0.7 mm relative to the designed height.

[0041] As explained above regarding the transfer section, high positional accuracy is required for the entrance positions of each unit, and in particular, high positional accuracy is required for the height between the housing 400, which has a transfer material guide G for guiding the transfer material to the fixing nip, and the housing 10, which has the second transport unit D2.

[0042] [Regarding the positioning and coupling of enclosures] The method and sequence of joining the enclosures will be explained using Figures 3 to 8. For the sake of explanation, Figures 3 to 7 show only the enclosure frame and the sheet transport unit inside it, while Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the enclosure.

[0043] First, the third housing 10 is connected to the first housing 300 in the insertion direction (X direction) of the positioning axis, which will be described later. (Figures 8a-b) Here, the X direction is the arrangement direction of the first housing 300, the second housing 400, and the third housing 10.

[0044] In Figures 3 and 4, positioning shafts (front) 19a and (rear) 19b are provided at two locations in the front-rear direction (Y) of the right support column 12 and rear side plate 15 of the third housing 10, so as to protrude toward the first housing 300 side (S1).

[0045] Furthermore, the front support column 302a and the rear support column 302b of the frame 301 of the first housing 300 are provided with connecting holes (front) 301a and (rear) 301b, respectively, which are elongated in shape in the height direction Z (vertical direction). The aforementioned positioning shafts (front) 19a and (rear) 19b are inserted into these connecting holes in a fitting relationship in the front-rear direction (Y) of the housing 300 and housing 10, thereby positioning the housing 300 and housing 10 in the front-rear direction Y.

[0046] Here, we explain why the front coupling hole 301a and the rear coupling hole 301b are elongated in the height direction Z. The first housing 300 is heavier than the third housing 10. Specifically, the total weight of the first housing is 700 kg, the third housing is 55 kg, and the second housing is 200 kg.

[0047] Thus, even if the enclosure is constructed by dividing it using image processing, there is a difference in the total weight of the enclosure and the functional components attached to it, which causes the enclosure itself to sink into the installation floor (in the -Z direction) due to its own weight.

[0048] In this embodiment, the housing 300 sinks into the housings 10 and 400. Therefore, if the front hole 301a and the rear hole 301b are provided as elongated holes in the height direction Z, the aforementioned front positioning shaft 19a and rear positioning shaft 19b will not interfere with the front support column 302a and rear support column 302b of the housing 300, and the housings can be joined together.

[0049] Next, we will explain how to adjust the transfer section between the enclosure 300 and the enclosure 10. The height Z adjustment between the enclosure 300 and the enclosures 10 and 400 is performed using the casters 21.

[0050] Here, the configuration of the caster 21 will be explained using Figure 6. Figure 6(a) is a perspective view of the caster, and Figure 6(b) is a cross-sectional view thereof.

[0051] The caster 21 has a wheel 21a rotatably attached to the caster body 21b by an axle (not shown). The caster body 21b also has a threaded portion 21f. Meanwhile, a base portion 21c, which has a threaded portion 21g that engages with the threaded portion 21f, is connected to the bottom frame 14 of the housing 10, for example, by screws 21d. These are joined together by nuts 21e to prevent them from separating.

[0052] When adjusting the height of the caster 21 in the Z direction, loosening the nut 21e and rotating it in the CW direction as shown in Figure 6(a) causes the caster's wheel 21a to move closer to the base 21c as the screw parts 21f and 21g move relative to the bottom frame 14. In other words, the housing 10 becomes relatively lower than the housing 300. On the other hand, rotating it in the CCW direction makes the housing 10 relatively higher than the housing 300. If the housing 300 is lower (-Z direction) compared to the housings 10 and 400, the height can be adjusted by rotating the caster 21 in the CCW direction.

[0053] In this embodiment, the caster-21 is also attached to the housing 400. As will be described later, even when the housing 10 and housing 400 are positioned in the height direction Z, the transfer of the transfer material 110 can be optimized by adjusting the casters of housing 10 and housing 400 to the height of housing 300.

[0054] Next, the second housing 400 is connected to the third housing 10 in the direction (X direction) toward the positioning axis described later. (Figures 8(c)~(d)) In Figures 3 and 4, the positioning shaft (front) 20a and positioning shaft (rear) 20b, which are provided on the second housing side (S2) of the third housing 10, are provided protruding from the second housing side (S2). In addition, the support column (front) 402a on the second housing side is provided with a positioning hole (front) 401a, and the support column (rear) 402b is provided with a positioning hole (rear) 401b, so that housing 10 and housing 400 are positioned in the front-rear direction (Y) and height direction (Z). The aforementioned positioning shafts (front) 20a and 20b are inserted into these positioning holes in a fitting relationship in the front-rear direction Y and height direction Z to position housing 300 and housing 10 in the front-rear direction Y.

[0055] With this configuration, as mentioned above, the front-to-back direction Y and the height direction Z of the housing 10 and housing 400 can be positioned, and the third housing 10 and the second housing 400 can be joined as a nearly integrated housing, enabling more precise positioning in the height direction Z, which requires particular accuracy.

[0056] Figure 7 shows the state in which the frame 301 of housing 300, the frame 11 of housing 10, and the frame 401 of housing 400 are connected and joined to each other. In Figure 7, in the transfer material transport direction X, each housing is connected via a fixing plate P1, with the front support 302a and rear support 302b of housing 300 and the right support 12 and rear side plate 15 of housing 10 being connected at the front and rear using screws or connecting shafts not shown. Similarly, the frame 11 and frame 401 are connected via a fixing plate P2, with the left support 13 of housing 10 and the rear side plate 15 being connected to the front support 402a and rear support 402b of housing 400 using screws or connecting shafts not shown at the front and rear.

[0057] As described above, in this embodiment, two housings with different image forming processes and different transfer material transfer positions are connected by providing a housing equipped with a transfer material transport unit between each housing, and by appropriately connecting their transfer heights.

[0058] In this embodiment, the connection between housing 10 and housing 400 is positioned in the front-to-back direction Y and the height direction Z relative to each other. However, the positioning may be adjusted to adjust only the height direction Z relative to each other, as is the case with housing 300 and housing 10. Alternatively, if the weight relationship between the housings is reversed, the height adjustment may be made toward housing 400.

[0059] [Regarding the impact on the floor surface when the enclosure is assembled] As described above, the image forming apparatus is assembled by sequentially connecting the third housing 10 and the second housing 400 toward the first housing 300 and adjusting the height direction (Z).

[0060] Up until now, the explanation of how these frames are joined together has been based on the condition that the floor surface is approximately flat, but in reality, the floor surface on which the image forming apparatus is installed is not necessarily approximately flat.

[0061] This specific example is illustrated in Figure 9(a). When the enclosures are joined using the procedure described above, if the floor surface of the third enclosure 10 is concave as shown by the dotted line in the figure, the third enclosure 10 will tilt along the floor. As a result, the gap δ3 between the top exterior cover E1 of the first enclosure 300 and the top exterior cover E2 of the third enclosure 10, and the gap δ4 between the top exterior cover E2 of the third enclosure 10 and the top exterior cover E3 of the second enclosure 400 become uneven in the joining direction (X).

[0062] At this time, the tilt can be reduced to some extent by adjusting the height of the casters 21 mentioned above, but it is difficult to adjust the gaps δ3 and δ4 using the four casters 21 provided on the bottom frame 14 of the housing 10. If the gaps δ3 and δ4 are uneven, it will detract from the appearance. Also, for example, if the top exterior cover E2 of the housing 10 and the top exterior cover E3 of the housing 400 are connected in a continuous manner to form a substantially flat surface to serve as a user's workspace, a large gap δ4 will lead to a deterioration in workability. Therefore, in this embodiment, a configuration is proposed to solve these problems.

[0063] [Regarding the exterior structure of the top side of the enclosure] Next, Figure 10 will explain the top-side exterior cover E2 provided on the housing 10.

[0064] Figure 10(a) is a perspective view of the top exterior as seen from the user's workspace. Figure 10(b) is a perspective view of the top exterior as seen from the frame 11 side.

[0065] The exterior cover E2 consists of a top plate 23 that also serves as the user's workspace, a reinforcing plate 24 and a decorative plate 30 to reinforce it, and is fixed with screws (not shown). Positioning holes 25 and adjustment holes 26 are formed in the reinforcing plate 24 on the rear side of the housing 10. The adjustment holes 26 are elongated in shape in the direction X of the housing connection.

[0066] Furthermore, a fixing plate 27 is fixed to the reinforcing plate 24 with screws (not shown), and the fixing plate 27 has positioning holes 28a, 28b and adjustment holes 29a, 29b on the front side of the housing 10. The adjustment holes 29a, 29b are elongated in shape in the direction of connection X of the housing, similar to the adjustment hole 26 mentioned above.

[0067] The above describes the structure of the outer cover E2. The outer covers E1 and E3 have a similar structure, and the decorative panels on the outer covers E1, E2, and E3 are connected with even gaps in the direction of connection of each housing, thereby improving the appearance and quality.

[0068] Next, Figure 11 describes the relationship between the exterior cover E2 and the frame 11. Figure 11(a) shows an overall view and an enlarged view of the connection between the exterior cover E2 and the frame 11 at the front. Figure 11(b) shows an overall view and an enlarged view of the connection between the exterior cover E2 and the frame 11 at the rear.

[0069] As mentioned earlier, the fixing plate 27, which is a component on the front side of the exterior cover E2, has positioning holes 28a and 28b formed therein, and similarly, adjustment holes 29a and 29b formed therein. Screw holes 28c and 28d are provided on the front side of the frame 11 so that the centers of the positioning holes 28a and 28b coincide. Also, screw holes 29c and 29d are provided on the front side of the frame 11 so that the centers of the adjustment holes 29a and 29b coincide. In this embodiment, the fixing plate 27 is an example of a first joint.

[0070] Similarly, the reinforcing plate 24, which is a component on the rear side of the exterior cover E2, has positioning holes 25 and adjustment holes 26 formed therein. On the rear side of the frame 11, screw holes 30 are provided so that the centers of the positioning holes 25 coincide, and screw holes 31 are provided so that the centers of the adjustment holes 26 coincide.

[0071] When shipped, the outer cover E2 of the housing 10 is fastened at the front by screws (not shown) that are inserted through the front positioning holes 28a and 28b and secured in the screw holes 28c and 28d of the frame 11. Similarly, the rear side is fastened at the screw holes 30 of the housing 10 by screws (not shown) that are inserted through the rear positioning holes 25. In this embodiment, the reinforcing plate 24 is an example of a second connection point. The screw holes 28c and 28d and the positioning holes 25 are examples of fastening holes.

[0072] Then, if the gaps in the exterior of the housing become uneven as shown in Figure 9(a) above, remove the front screws from the positioning holes 28a and 28b, move the exterior cover E2 in the M direction, and then fasten the screws to the screw holes 29c and 29d of the frame body corresponding to the adjustment holes 29a and 29b.

[0073] Similarly, on the rear side, remove the screws from the positioning holes 30, move the outer cover E2 (in the D direction), and then connect the screws using the adjustment holes 26 and screw holes 31.

[0074] Figure 9(b) shows the state after moving the exterior cover E2 from the state in Figure 9(a) so that the gaps δ3 and δ4 are uniform and then fixing it in place. By making the position of the exterior cover E2 adjustable in this way, the clearance of the decorative panel 30 between the exterior cover E1 of the adjacent housing 300 and the exterior cover E2 of housing 400 can be made uniform, thus maintaining the quality of the exterior surface.

[0075] Figure 9(c) shows an example where the outer cover E2 on the top side of the frame 10 and the outer cover E3 on the top side of the housing 400 are moved so that the gap δ4 in the joining direction X between the outer cover E2 and the outer cover E3 is almost eliminated, in order to ensure the convenience of the user's workspace formed by these two covers. In this way, by making it possible to adjust the position of the outer cover E2 of the housing 10 as needed, it is possible to ensure the appearance quality of the image forming apparatus and the user's workspace.

[0076] By the way, in this embodiment, the outer cover E2 has adjustment holes on the front and rear sides. With this configuration, even if there is a gap between the outer covers E1 and E3 of adjacent housings and the outer cover E2 of housing 10 due to twisting in the housing coupling direction X, it is possible to adjust in a direction that corrects this. For example, if there is a gap between housings due to the front side being twisted in the +X direction and the rear side being twisted in the -X direction, it is possible to adjust the front side in the -X direction and the rear side in the +X direction.

[0077] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment will be described using Figure 12.

[0078] Figure 12(a) shows the case where the floor surface of the third housing 10 is concave as shown by the dotted line in the figure, and the third housing 10 is tilted along the floor. It shows a state in which the gap δ3 between the top exterior cover E1 of the first housing 300 and the top exterior cover E2 of the second housing 10, and the gap δ4 between the top exterior cover E2 of the third housing 10 and the top exterior cover E3 of the second housing 400 are non-uniform in the coupling direction X.

[0079] At this time, by providing the above-described configuration to the top-side exterior covers E1 and E2 of the first housing 300 and the second housing 400, the top-side exterior of the third housing 10 can be moved in the M direction toward the coupling direction X, as shown in Figure 12(b). This makes it possible to optimize the gap δ3 between the top-side exteriors of the first housing 300 and the third housing 10.

[0080] On the other hand, by moving the outer cover E3 of the second housing 400 in the M direction, the gap δ4 between it and the third housing 10 can be reduced. In addition, the gap in the workspace formed on the upper surfaces of the outer cover E3 and the outer cover E2 can be reduced, improving user convenience.

[0081] For example, in this embodiment, the process of forming an unfixed image on the transfer material is shown in the first housing, and the process of fixing the unfixed image is shown in the second housing, but the arrangement of these image forming process units within the housing is not specified.

[0082] Furthermore, although the third housing 10 is equipped with a transfer material transport unit, it may also be configured to include a curl correction unit for correcting the curl of the transfer material, for example, during passage through the transport path or due to moisture absorption. In addition, the third housing 10 may also be equipped with a cooling unit for cooling the transfer material 110 while transporting it after fixing, and a detection unit for detecting the printing accuracy and defects of the image.

[0083] Furthermore, although the image formation process according to this embodiment is performed using an electrophotographic method, inkjet printers and dye-sublimation printers also have similar image formation processes, such as ink deposition, vapor deposition, and heat-drying image fixing processes, and the printing method is not limited. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] D1 First transport unit D2 Second transport unit E1 Exterior Cover E2 Exterior Cover E3 Exterior Cover 10. The third cabinet 100 Image forming apparatus 300 First enclosure 400 Second cabinet

Claims

1. A first housing having an image forming unit that forms a toner image on a recording material, A second housing having a fixing unit for fixing the toner image formed by the image forming unit onto a recording material, A third housing equipped with a conveying means for transporting a sheet from the first housing to the second housing, The third housing includes an exterior part provided on the third housing, which constitutes a part of the exterior appearance on the top surface of the third housing, and which is fixed so as to be adjustable in position in the arrangement direction of the first housing, the third housing and the second housing. An image forming apparatus characterized by the following features.

2. The third housing has a frame to which the exterior part is fixed, The exterior portion has a first connecting portion provided on the front side of the third housing in a front-to-back direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction and the vertical direction, and a second connecting portion provided on the rear side of the third housing in the front-to-back direction, and is connected to the frame by the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion. The image forming apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The exterior part comprises a top plate that forms part of the exterior of the third housing and a reinforcing plate that reinforces the top plate. The reinforcing plate has an elongated hole that is long in the direction of arrangement, The frame has fastening holes through which screws inserted into the elongated holes are fastened. The image forming apparatus according to feature 2.

4. The third housing further comprises casters that are adjustable vertically relative to the first housing and the second housing. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images